A low headline price can describe a different fence, a shorter roll, wire only, a different coating or a shipment that excludes freight. First define the comparison basis. Then record each offer exactly as quoted and send mismatches back as clarification questions.
1. Freeze one comparison basis
Give all suppliers the same revision of the requirement. Attach the materials checklist and record the project fields below before entering any price.
2. Normalize the product and quantity
| Field | Required basis | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fence family / intended job | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Fence height and mesh pattern | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Horizontal / vertical wire diameter | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Knot, wire grade and coating | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Roll length and weight | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Requested / quoted quantity | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Unit used for price | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Standards / document status | ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
Use actual wire diameter as well as any gauge label, because gauge naming can be ambiguous. Keep per-roll, per-metre, per-foot, per-kilogram and package prices in their quoted units until the quantity and specification match.
3. Separate supply scope from extras
| Field | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wire / mesh supplied | Included / excluded | Included / excluded | Included / excluded |
| Posts, braces and attachments | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Gates and hardware | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Electric components | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Packaging / pallet / container basis | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Freight, insurance and unloading | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Installation, tools and consumables | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| Stated exclusions | ________ | ________ | ________ |
4. Record commercial assumptions without interpreting them
- Quote identity: supplier name, quotation number, date, contact and revision.
- Price basis: currency, unit price, quantity breaks, minimum order and total as quoted.
- Delivery: named place, stated delivery term, production lead time, dispatch basis and requested delivery date.
- Charges: packaging, freight, insurance, inspection, documentation, tax or duty shown as included, excluded or unknown.
- Payment and validity: exact wording, validity date and any deposit or milestone shown in the offer.
- Documents: drawing approval, product data, test or inspection documents, packing list and origin documents requested or offered.
Copy the supplier’s wording and flag unclear terms. Obtain appropriate commercial, customs or legal advice where the consequence matters; this page does not determine who bears risk, tax, duty, insurance or unloading responsibility.
5. Build the clarification queue
Questions buyers ask
How do I compare two fence quotations?
Confirm that both offers answer the same dated specification and quantity. Then align units, roll length, included components, packaging, delivery scope, exclusions and document status before comparing the resulting total.
Should I compare price per roll or price per metre?
Use a common unit only after the rolls describe the same relevant specification and their stated lengths are known. Preserve the original quoted unit and show every conversion separately.
What if one quote includes freight and another does not?
Keep the supplier totals intact, mark the delivery scope difference and request the missing comparable figure. Do not silently estimate an unknown charge and present it as quoted.
Is the lowest quotation always the best choice?
No conclusion follows from headline price alone when scope, specification, documents, delivery or risk differs. This worksheet reveals those differences; supplier qualification and award criteria belong to the buyer’s approved process.
Can I use this as a contract review?
No. It is a comparison and clarification record. Contract, warranty, customs, tax and delivery-risk interpretation require the appropriate responsible adviser.
Evidence and limits
University of Maine Extension recommends mapping, measurement and a material list before estimating a fence, and warns that example costs become outdated and may exclude labor. UK Department for Education procurement guidance provides a transferable process pattern: send suppliers the same information, assess against defined criteria, keep records, and state what is purchased, price and delivery details. That guidance governs schools in the UK, not private fence purchases, so only the neutral recordkeeping pattern is used here.
Map, gates, measured length, load points and material-list preparation before cost comparison.
University of Maine Extension: Cost Format Scope and currency warningAn explicitly outdated example retained as a calculation format; costs vary and stated examples may exclude labor.
UK Department for Education: Getting Quotes Process pattern onlySame information, defined assessment, decision records and explicit purchase and delivery details; jurisdiction-specific rules are not carried over.